Hack: Protect Your Hair Before Swimming

Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I doubt that he ever imagined that he would be quoted in a beauty blog, no matter, as his wisdom is still just as relevant today as it was when he originally said it in a different context.

Summer can kill our hair, especially color or chemically treated hair. Here is the best hair hack for preventing chlorine and salt water damage…..ready..

RINSE YOUR HAIR FIRST WITH REGULAR TAP WATER BEFORE GETTING IT WET IN THE POOL OR OCEAN.

I drop the mic and walk off. Game OVER.

Seriously though, how simple is that? Your hair will absorb the tap water, preventing the hair from absorbing pool or salt water, hence preventing the damage.

You should follow that up by rinsing your hair again with regular tap water when you are done swimmig. If you don’t have easy access to fresh water at the beach bring some plastic bottles filled with water from home with you. As an added treat for your mane, spritz leave-in conditioner all over and give it an extra moisturizing treatment.

If you want to take it a step further by styling it, follow-up the leave-in conditioner by loosely braiding your long hair and letting it dry. For shorter hair simply finger style.

Now, if you didn’t happen to read this awesome article first and you went into the water unprotected here’s what you should do:

1. Rinse your hair in tap water
2. Create a paste of baking soda and water (enough to put it through all your hair)
3. Rinse the baking soda out
4. Wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo or chlorine removing shampoo
5. Condition the hell out of it. If you have time for a conditioning mask that is even better.